France church attack: Islamic clerics joined Christians in a prayer service following recent terror strike

Muslims and Christians joined in prayer in the Normandy town following heinous terror strike at a church when two attackers slit throat of an elderly priest on July 26, Tuesday earlier this week. This prayer was held at a mosque in Normandy, which was attended by Muslims from other parts of France to be present for the joint prayer service with Christians.

During the prayer service one Islamic cleric reprimanded the extremists branding them as non-Muslims who are “not part of civilization” or “humanity.” The country which was already reeling from a wave of terror was sent into a tizzy when two knife-wielding men broke into the Saint Etienne church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, France.

During the prayer service, Anouar Kbibech, leader of a Muslim umbrella group echoed a call for Muslims to visit churches on Sunday as a gesture to show solidarity with Christians as they pray. Another Muslim cleric Abdelatif Hmitou strongly criticized the extremists saying: “You have the wrong civilization because you are not a part of civilization. You have the wrong humanity because you are not a part of humanity. You have the wrong idea about us (Muslims) and we won’t forgive you for this.”

He went on to address the extremists and said: “How may the idea reach your mind that we might loathe those who helped us … to pray to Allah in this town? How could you think that, mister killer? Mister criminal?” He was referring to a donation of land by Saint Therese church that sold a plot to the Muslims for a symbolic sum so they could build a mosque.

Later on, terror group Islamic State claimed brazenly responsibility for the strike. The two attackers were gunned down by the police as they came out of the St. Etienne church. The two attackers had held two nuns and an elderly couple hostage as they slit the priest’s throat. The St. Etienne church where the attack occurred has been sealed shut.